Get Certified

Most Americans eat some kosher food every day, but chances are they’re not aware of it. Take a walk down the aisles of any supermarket and you will see that certification appears on over 60% of America’s produced foods that are certified kosher, from the coveted Oreo to the thirst-quenching Coca-Cola. Over $150 billion of kosher certified products are consumed annually, and spending continues to rise dramatically.

News

Judaism and the Jewish way of life are full of cycles—from holidays that reoccur every year to the moon that renews each month; from milestones that mark significant events in one’s life such as birth and death, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, to marriage and family. Now, in July, an OU Kosher cycle will renew, the Harry H. Beren ASKOU program held every other summer, which for the tenth time will train kosher professionals to become experts in their fields. Applications are now being accepted for the ASKOU10 elite education program.

Kosher Tidbits, an initiative of OU Kosher which presents audio and visual learning sessions regarding contemporary kashrut issues, is nearing the 150 mark with the announcement of its 143rd production last week, “Onions and Radishes: Proceed with Caution,” with Rabbi Hershel Schachter, OU Kosher Senior Halachic Consultant. Available on http://www.ouradio.org and geared toward the general Kosher-observant community across the globe, Kosher Tidbits are an informal and enjoyable means of developing substantial kashrut knowledge. New Tidbits are added to provide insights into aspects of kashrut in today’s world and to show how centuries old halacha is applied to modern technology processes.

Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. today announced that Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Frooties and DOTS have become kosher-certified by the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certification agency. New packaging bearing the “OU” symbol will be distributed nationwide beginning in the next few weeks.

Schreiber Foods Inc. and its President and CEO Michael J. Haddad will be honored at the Orthodox Union’s 111th Annual Dinner & Awards Presentation, with the National Kashrut Leadership Award, Sunday evening, December 6 at the Hudson Theater and Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York.

Ellen Libfeld, Vice President of “The Original” WrapOle’ Premium Quality Tortillas®, announced the Orthodox Union will be the certification agency for product made in Florida. All products will continue to be Pas Yisroel and made with the same ingredients customers have enjoyed since 1996.

Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator and Vice President of Communications and Marketing of OU Kosher, will be one of two experts appearing in the webinar, “Let’s Talk Kosher! Kosher Food: What Does it Mean for Food to Be Labeled as Kosher and What Are the Implications for Food Producers, Distributors and Marketers?” The webinar will be presented by the Orthodox Union and the Food Institute on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 12:00 p.m., Eastern time.

The Orthodox Union Kosher Division, the world’s largest and most respected kosher certification agency, today announced the publication of the “OU Manual for the Baking Industry,” a compendium of the knowledge and experience of the expert OU rabbis who travel the world applying the time-honored laws of kosher to the industrial practices of today.